A dinghy is a common accessory to a cruising boat, providing transportation to and from an anchorage, and for use in fishing and as a swimming raft. Inflatable dinghies have become very popular, and many of these are provided with structure for mounting an outboard motor. Many cruising boats do not have deck space or lifting equipment to handle a dinghy when underway, so the common practice is to tow the dinghy on the front face of the following stern wave. This tends to subject the motor to water spray or actual immersion, and the buffeting of waves can tear the motor off the dinghy transom, losing the motor and damaging the dinghy. It is a common practice, therefore, to remove the motor when towing a dinghy.
Stowage of outboard motors can be a problem. The motor is sometimes stored on deck, or below deck and sometimes stored on the swim platform of the boat. In any case, the motor is usually unrestrained and tends to slide around, scratching the deck or platform and posing an obstacle or danger to passengers. A mounting bracket or retainer that does not fit different platforms or which requires drilled holes is not acceptable to boat owners or companies that sell boat accessories. An object of the present invention is to provide an adjustable bracket for securing a dinghy motor to a slotted swim platform of a boat that fits on most swim platforms and does not require any drilled holes in the swim platform and protects the swim platform from abrasion.